Joe Romano 2

Work Assignment.

2011-09-21T00:09:00.002-04:00

Been crazy busy. Started and new job back in Oncology. Very happy to be back and love the new company. We have a meeting coming up soon and I was asked to design a BBQ sauce label for our team as well as a shirt. I love doing this stuff. Here is what I came up with, let me know what you think. Go Buckeyes!!!!!

Later,

Joe

Children's Book Update

2011-03-25T23:07:00.002-04:00

Well I finally finished the illustrations for the Children's Book I am working on with writer Jay England. I have a few things to tweak and touch up, but everything has been submitted to an editor. Jay is going to self publish and is working his tail off to get this thing to print. In the mean time I attached two sneak peeks.

I'm back to working on "Seeds" and a few other little things. My progress has been a little slow since my wife and I welcomed the third member to our crew on Feb 23rd. Little Sean Patrick is doing great and is a perfect fit in our little family.

Hope you like the pics.

Later,

Joe

Sketch Dump

2011-03-01T15:17:00.004-05:00

Haven't posted in awhile. Just finished up illustrating a children's book for Jay England. I'll be posting some of those later in the week. The new banner is one of the two page spreads from the book.

In the mean time, I've been doing some sketching when ever I get a few minutes. These are all rough sketches, some are for my kids, some are characters I plan on using somewhere down the road. Either way, I thought they where fun and I love doing just simple, mindless sketches. Nice way to decompress after a long day. Hope you like them. I'll post some more later in the week too.

Later,

Joe

2011 Logo

2011-01-20T22:21:00.002-05:00

My Regional Director at work asked if I would do a logo for our region again this year, well.....you can't tell the big man no. Right? Just kidding. I love this kind of stuff. Our "Mascot" is a White Tiger, and I did a realistic version of it last year. This year I figured I'd do my own version and add a little bit of my own flare (without crossing the corporate line, don't want to ruffle any feathers) So here is my slightly edgier version for 2011.

Let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

Lil Uni Dragon

2010-12-02T00:10:00.002-05:00

Been awhile since I posted anything. I've been buried behind my sketch table trying to get my first book done that I am working on with Jay England. Dead line is January, and we plan on going to print in Feb. Keep you posted.

In the mean time here is a quick sketch I did while hanging out with my kiddos. Simple ball point pen. I've been doing these quick 10-15 minute sketches and then making copies of them so my kids can color them. They love it....so do I. I'll try and post some more next week. I'm putting a bunch of them together as a coloring book for my kids and nephew's and nieces for Christmas this year, something simple and fun.

Hope you like it.

Later,

Joe

Up Coming Project with Rob Gervais

2010-09-27T00:07:00.002-04:00

Been awhile since I had a post. I've been buried in the basement at night trying to finish the Children's book I'm working on with Jay England. I should have everything done by the end of October and we hope to have it to print by Dec.

In the mean time, I needed a night off the shut my brain down and just mess around. I've been working on character development for a graphic novel I am working on with Rob Gervais. For right now I refer to it as "Seeds". I wanted to just do a full digitally colored image with this style of art for a long time. Here is my first crack at it. Let me know what you think. Starting to get more comfortable with the digital stuff. I changed up my inking style and tools a bit for this project. I'll be diving in full go to "Seeds" in No

vember so Rob and I can get this thing going. He wrote an amazing story and I can't wait to visually put it to print. Hope you like it. The original inked sketch is below.

Later,

Joe

Hanging with the Captain

2010-08-13T23:59:00.006-04:00

Here is quick sketch I did of Captain America. I did the original sketch with pen and white colored pencil on the back of a note pad. Liked the way it looked so I did a quick color with some Prisma Color pens while I was doodling with my kids.I messed around with the background digitally just for some practice.

Thing

2010-08-06T00:46:00.002-04:00

My buddy Jay got me some cool new colored pencils. Figured I'd test them out. I did a quick sketch of Thing while my kiddos where sitting on my lap doodling with me. Doesn't get any better then that.

They both love to draw, so I'm loving it.

Later,

Joe

Bring on the Bad Guys....and Girl!

2010-07-06T22:15:00.002-04:00

Here are some character concepts for another project. Just got the green light to post some of the images. These are for a book and possible movie treatment. Really excited about this one. There is something fun about drawing the bad guys. I love the challenge to make them evil....yet...somewhat cuddly.....sort of. Take a look and let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

Seeds Sample

2010-07-05T22:27:00.002-04:00

Here is glimpse of Page two Panel for Seeds of Change. I have been slammed at work and trying to juggle about 5 art projects at once. So, it is as crazy as usual, but I love it. Here's a little peek of Randy looking out his office window. This is just a small glimpse at Page two.

I've been trying to pick up the pace lately, but unfortunately I need to sleep. Hope you like it.

Later,

Joe

Photography Contest

2010-07-01T23:34:00.002-04:00

My wife is an amazing photographer, (and I'm not just saying that because she's my wife and I'm afraid she'll make me sleep on the coach if I don't) I'm really blown away by what she can do. It's been a blast to watch her grow in her craft and see where she started to where she is now.

She just entered a photography contest for a magazine. Please log in and vote for her, you can win a camera to boot! Her name is Bonnie Romano with Design 489 photography. She submitted a pic of a newborn laying on an American flag, next to her dad's Fireman's helmet. (come on, tell me that doesn't pull on the heart strings) The link is listed below. Check it out.

http://www.ppmag.com/cover-contest-2010/vote/37455/

If you want to see more of her work check out her site at

www.design489.com

Thanks for the support.

Later,

Joe

rough sketches

2010-06-09T22:46:00.004-04:00

Here are some random rough sketches. I do these for my kids and hang them on their door in the morning before I go to work. I've been posting them on facebook, figured I'd throw a few up here.

These are just some quickies I did with a ball point pen.

Later,

Joe

My Logo

2010-06-09T22:21:00.002-04:00

I've been messing around with the idea of a logo for my artwork. I love tattoos and symbols and that kind of stuff, so I wanted to come up with something simple that had a personal meaning to me.

This is the image I came up with a few months ago and I have been sitting on it for awhile and thinking about it. It's simple (kind of like me I guess), but has some meaning behind it.

I combined a few basic elements. The universal symbol for courage is a circle, with an arrow pointing up inside of it. (you will see this show up in some of my artwork down the road) I didn't connect the circle, but added an arrow to show a continuous circle to represent constant motion in one direction. Lastly I added the number 4.

OK, what the hell does all this mean. Well the symbol for courage is important to me because I want to teach my kids not to be afraid to live life and stand up for what they believe in. Believe it or not I was a shy kid and had a hard time forcing myself outside of my comfort zone.

The outer circle is the fact that I want to teach them to never give up. To keep on moving and keep on chasing their dreams. That is why it is continuous and just keeps going. The number 4 has a few personal meanings too me (some things I have to keep to myself), for now I'll just say that I like the number 4.

Put it all together and it kind of sums up what I believe in. Never give up, have the courage to chase your dreams and live life to the fullest. Always look up, and focus on the positive things. It's the simple little things in life that are really important and keep you moving no matter what life throws at you. I hope I can pass that on to my kids. This logo kind of pulls that all together for me in one simple little image. Let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

Unanswered Dreams of a Dead Man Final Cover Preview

2010-05-26T22:22:00.002-04:00

Here is the final cover Preview for Unanswered Dreams of a Dead Man. Ted and Kenyon made some suggestions that I am really happy I listened too. Some subtle changes, but I think it works.

Ted and Kenyon's book should be available soon. I"ll keep you posted. Good luck fellas, and thanks again for giving me the opportunity.

Later,

Joe

Concept Art

2010-05-22T21:11:00.004-04:00

Here is some character concepts and page layouts I did a few months back for a potential project. Just got word today that this one probably isn't going to happen so I figured I might as well post some of the work I did.

Bummer, when these things don't take off. But the good thing is I sti

ll have a lot of irons in the fire. Plugging away on my first children's book with writer Jay Saiz and the Seeds of Change Project with writer Robert Gervais. I should have both of those completed this summer. Keep you posted. In the mean time, hope you like these pages. Let me know what you think.

later,

Joe

Seeds of Change Preview

2010-04-23T23:35:00.003-04:00

Well this is my first official crack at digitally coloring a comic book page. This is a panel from Page One of "Seeds of Change". I know I have been talking about this thing forever, but I am finally getting the ball rolling on the coloring.

I'm currently juggling a few projects. I hope to have Seeds done by the end of June and the Children's book I am illustrating for Jay Saiz done by August. I have a few other things up my sleeve as well, but I can' t talk about them yet. I'm having a blast, just need a few more hours in the day. Or I have to give up sleeping.

Either way, this stuff is like a dream come true. I love doing it. Let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

Unanswered Dreams of a Dead Man Version 7

2010-04-20T22:26:00.002-04:00

Alright here is the latest update with Ted and Kenyon's book. The guys had a really cool idea on switching up the color direction. I did a few different versions and this is what I came up with. The book should be out in June. I'll keep you posted. Good luck fellas, thanks for the opportunity.

Let me know what you think, Hope you like.

Later

Joe

Unanswered Dreams of a Dead Man

2010-04-11T20:37:00.003-04:00

My wife's cousin Ted and his buddy Kenyon just got their first novel published. I was fortunate enough to get a crack at doing the cover art. So here is the concept that I came up with along with the original rough pencil sketch. I colored the image digitally on photoshop. The book should be available by the end of June. I'll keep you posted when it comes out. Congrats to Ted and Kenyon, they have been working on this project for awhile. It is a prelude to a Screen Play that Ted has been working on for a long time. Hopefully this book will open some doors for Ted and Kenyon (me too). Pulling for you fellas. Thanks for the opportunity to be a part of your project!!!

Later,

Joe

Seeds Update

2010-03-19T00:23:00.002-04:00

Alright, I've been swamped at work, but I've still been plugging away on my projects. Here is a sneak peak from a page of "Seeds of Change" that I am working on with Rob Gervais. I'm almost done inking the line work and want to start the color next week. This will be my first shot digitally coloring a full page comic. I'm loving it. Can't wait for everyone to read the story Rob has written. It rocks. Hope you like the preview. Let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

White Tiger 2

2010-02-22T21:36:00.004-05:00

Played around with the backgrounds a little tonight. What do you think?

Later,

Joe

White Tiger

2010-02-21T01:17:00.004-05:00

Alright so I was in LA for a training meeting last week and got busted by my Regional Director doodling. Let me put this into perspective....it's my boss's boss. The big guy! This used to happen to me all the time at my previous employer, but I had been there for 10yrs and everyone knew I was still paying attention. Not the best thing to do at a new company, where I haven't proven myself just yet.

Sooo to make a long story short, after a very pale atte

mpt to justify my doodling, I made a deal. I'd do an image of a White Tiger for our Regional Mascot, and we would forget about my notebook covered with random sketches....and a few not

es here and there.

Here is my crack at doing a White Tiger. Haven't done any "realistic" stuff in awhile so I'm rusty. I posted the step by step. I picked green because it is the color of the product we promote. I need to work on how to do eyes digitally, can't quite get them the way I picture the in my head. Still learning how to do this digital thing.

Hope you like it.

Fur and eyes

Base Colors

rough pencil sketch

Later,

Joe

Meet Mojo Mojo

2010-02-02T02:00:00.005-05:00

Here is the image I submitted for my last digital painting class at Schoolism.com. The background is a little lack luster, but that's what you get for doing the assignment at 2am.

This is a character I came up with awhile ago. I was drawing

with my 4yr old son and he liked the little guy. He asked what his name was and the first thing that popped out of my head was Mojo-Mojo. I know it doesn't make sense but my son cracked up so the name stuck.

The step by step is below. Let me know what you think.

This is the original sketch I did on a scratch pad.

First I did the base colors

Next I added some Fur

This is the sketch I did with my son.

Hope you like them.

Later,

Joe

Sneak Peek

2010-01-21T23:52:00.003-05:00

Just signed my first illustrating contract for a children's book. I'm really excited about this one. Here is the first sneak peek on a rough sketch I did for one of the pages. Let me know what you think.

I'll give some more details on the book as I go. I'll have everything completed by June. Keep you posted. Hope you like it.

Later,

Joe

Industry Logo Concept

2010-01-08T23:18:00.005-05:00

So Here is my second crack at digitally painting my own images. I'm learning a ton from Bobby Chiu's class. He is amazing. Unfortunately I feel like I'm in high school again because my assignments I've submitted to the class stink. Just like high school I'm still trying to cram in way to much in too short a period of time, so my homework tends to be neglected.

If anyone has any interest in learning how to digitally paint check out www.schoolism.com and take Bobby's class. It's amazing what he can do. I'm pretty much embarrassed when I submit my assignments, but the feedback is incredible and I'm really learning from it.

Any way, this is a demo for a logo for the Industry project I have been working on. I included a partial step by step, from my sketch, to primary paint to finished product. Hope you like it. Let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

More concept sketches

2010-01-02T20:59:00.002-05:00

Here are a few test sketches for another project. I know I keep talking about all these projects and I haven't shown any finished stuff yet. I'll get some up here eventually.

Happy New Year Everybody,

Later

Joe

First Digital Painting

2009-11-20T23:16:00.008-05:00

Alright, it has been waaaay to long since i had a post. I've been working on several projects and the normal chaos of life so I have neglected my little blog here.

I'm taking a digital painting class at www.schoolism.com with the very talented Bobby Chui. This guy is amazing. His paintings look like they are going to jump right off the screen. I'm loving the class. I haven't done too well on my homework assignments (just like high school all over again) but I'm learning a ton. If you have ever wanted to learn digital painting, check it out. I've only had two classes and I'm blown away by how good they are. I highly recomend it.

This is my first crack at my own digital painting. I am working with my buddy Rob Gervais to develop an album cover for a band called INDUSTRY (Check out www.myspace.com/industry1 ) very cool band.

So long story short, I figured I would test out my new skills while I worked on the album cover. This is my first crack at it. Here is the original sketch and first layer of colors that led to the final image.

I'm pretty happy with it since it is my first crack at this digital thing. Let me know what you think. You can see more of Bobby Chui's stuff at http://www.imaginismstudios.blogspot.com/

Later,

Joe

"Seeds" Update

2009-09-30T21:29:00.002-04:00

I did some work on "Seeds of Change" while I was in LA. I was playing around with some new pencils and pens while I was working on some images for my page layouts. Let me know what you think. I'm getting closer to doing the final layouts and laying down the ink.

Hope ya like em!

Later,
Joe

Air plane Sketches

2009-09-27T22:24:00.003-04:00

Just got back from training in LA for my new job. It has been pretty face paced over the last few weeks. So I welcomed some down time on the plane back to do some sketches.

Here are a few sketches from one of my projects I'm hoping to start ramping up in January. I need to finish Rocco and Joey and the "Seeds of Change" project I am working on. I love these characters I can't wait to tell the story. I came up with the story two years ago and have been writing and laying out the story line when I get a chance. I have a ton of the characters sketched out, but here are three of the main characters, Togg, Tugg and Turk. Hope you like them.

Later,

Joe

Summer Fun

2009-09-07T23:53:00.001-04:00

Here is a video my wife put together from a family trip we took to Idlewild. Idlewild is a kids park in Legionare PA. We had a blast, the kids were hilarious. We just wished we didn't pick the hottest day of the summer.
Later,
Joe

Sneak Peek

2009-08-28T00:25:00.004-04:00

Here is a little sneak peek from some of the pages I have been working on for my children's book. They are just little snap shots from a few of the pages. Not the full image. Let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

I really need to go to start going to bed earlier.

Conan

2009-08-27T23:27:00.003-04:00

Well I've been out of commission for awhile. At least as far as posting goes. Life got a little crazy. I just started a new job and it's been a bit of a whirl wind. I'm so excited about the opportunity and have been busting my but to get up and running. It was really hard to leave my former employer. I had been there for 9 years, met my wife there and made a lot of great friends. (To all of you good luck, I wish you all the best, and I'll truly miss you.)

Well back to the artwork. I've been plugging away on page layouts for "Seeds" and finishing some pages for my Children's book.

I did this one on the plane on the way out to LA for work.This is a sketch I did for a buddy of mine Jerry. His dog Conan passed recently and he wants to get a tattoo of him as a Gargoyle. This is my first run at the project. I have a few other images I'm working on for it. My scanner is too small to fit the wings in post. I need to get an outline of Jer's ribs to really get the wings the way I want them. I'll post some more of the images when I finish them up. Hopefully I can get pic of Jer's final tattoo to post as well. Hope you like it.

Later,

Joe

I Love Vacation!!!!!!

2009-08-01T23:42:00.009-04:00

(my wife took these amazing pics of our kids. She's an incredibly talented photographer)

Every year we take a family vacation to the Outerbanks. We go with my wife's family. My in-laws are awesome and we have a blast. My father in-law makes the whole thing happen. My wife's two sisters and brother come down with their kids. Ten adults and eight kids in one house, it's crazy, but it's the perfect vacation.

We had so much fun! The kids where amazing and my wife and I can't believe how fast it went. I actually proposed to with on my first trip down to OBX about six years ago, so the place is really special to me. Hope you like the pics.

Later,

Joe

Terrible Yellow Eyes

2009-07-26T21:45:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure how many people are familiar with Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It was one of my favorite books as a kid. I was fascinated and terrified all at once. I recently came across a website to it call http://www.terribleyelloweyes.com/ The site was set up by an amazing artist Cory Godbey. Every week different artists contribute their work based around Maurice Sendaks masterpiece. I have no affiliation to the site, it just think it is an amazing collection of some truly talented artists. Definitely worth checking out. Especially if you love the book as much as I do.

These sketches I did where inspired by Cory's site and Mr. Sendaks amazing book. I love doing this kind of stuff and the monster I picked is my favorite one from the story. The first image is colored pencil and the second I is a rough ball point pen sketch I did while I was on the phone.

Check out the site you will be happy you did. Hope you like it.

Later

Joe

2009-07-01T22:11:00.003-04:00

Here are some more rough sketches for the "Seeds of Change" project I am working on with Rob Gervais. I'm still working on page layouts and character concepts. Rob is starting to write more of the story. I can't wait to get some final pages and to read the rest of the story.

These images are rough sketches. I haven't put in too much detail and probably won't until I do the final images. I'm working with a short clock, I need to find a way to create more hours in the day. I'm still trying to figure out how to draw women. I'm still playing around with how I want her to look. I have a ways to go, but I'm getting there.

I'll keep ya posted. Hope you like the sketches, and let me know what you think.

Later,

Joe

More Seeds

2009-06-19T22:00:00.003-04:00

Here are some character concept sketches I did for "Seeds of Change" my summer project with writer Rob Gervais.

They are not specific to the script, I just started to doodle and this is what popped out of my head. I have a hard time drawing women so I thought I'd practice a little. Hope you like them, let me know what you think. Later.
Joe

Change is Coming

2009-06-14T23:22:00.005-04:00

If you checked out any of the post on Industry I eluded to working with a talented writer in San Diego. Well Rob Gervais has so kindly asked me to work on another project with him. Rob wrote an incredible story called "THE SEEDS OF CHANGE". He decided to do the project in a comic format and submit it online.

Not only am I flattered that he asked me to do the art work, but I am so fired up to get started on it. The story is such a cool concept. Rob truly has some serious talent and I can't wait to see where it takes him. I'm just happy to be along for the ride on this project. This is my summer project, so I hope to have everything completed by the end of the summer. I'll keep you posted with monthly updates.

In the mean time here are some of the early concepts. Let me know what you think. Later.

Joe

More Industry

2009-06-01T00:06:00.004-04:00

Ok are you guys sick of me posting these yet? This will be the last of the Industry posts for awhile. Rob, the writer I'm working with had a few last minute ideas, so I quickly threw these sketches together over the weekend. These are reeeeaaaallly rough sketches. I didn't have much time. My weekends are happily consumed with my wife and kids. So I was pretty beat and couldn't hack the late nights this weekend. I must be getting old. Hope you like them, let me know what you think. Take care.

Joe

Industry Update

2009-05-29T00:54:00.005-04:00

Here are some more images for the little Industry project that I'm working on with a buddy in San Diego. I've sketched these rough images from the proposal he wrote.

The image below is just a rough line sketch. This is how I layout am image before I add any detail. W I'm out, I'm actually falling asleep as I'm typing this. Wish me luck. Hope you like them.

Samson

2009-05-27T23:54:00.003-04:00

Here is a sketch I did awhile ago and forgot to post it. This is one of the characters, Samson, from my graphic novel that I'd like to finish before I'm 50!! I wrote the rough draft three years ago. I originally wrote it as a screen play then decided it would work better as a graphic novel and I would have more control over the project. Oh yeah, that and I couldn't get any one but my wife to read it. (and she's not a real fan of the comic stuff, more proof that she must really love me. or she just wanted me to shut up about it and get to bed before 3am)

I've always wanted to do my own comic, so hopefully I'll be able to finish it some day. Hope you like the pic.

Sneak Peek

2009-05-22T23:47:00.002-04:00

Ok, I know I said I have a bunch of different projects going on. Unfortunately some of them I can't talk about just yet. Buuuuut, I can give a sneak peek. So here is a cover project I'm working on with a very talent writer here in Cleveland. Nothing is set in stone yet, I'm still doing some concepts and waiting to hear back. So wish me luck and I hope you like these rough drafts, or at least the small portion of them that I'm showing.

Take care,

Joe

Industry Project

2009-05-19T22:32:00.004-04:00

Here are some images I did this weekend for a little project I'm working on with a friend in San Diego. These are my first rough sketches. They're very basic, just some pencil and ink. I've got a couple things going right now. I'm having a lot of fun working on them. It's pretty cool to do some images for other people when you are just working with the description they provided you with. It's kind of nerve racking while I'm waiting to hear what they think about the images . Speaking of which, let me know what you think.

Take care

Craaaazzzy Busy!!!!

2009-05-10T22:17:00.004-04:00

Well, I haven't had much time to do any art work lately. Work has been chaotic to say the least, and I've been having a blast with my family. I usually do some art work late at night and on the weekend. To add to the craziness I recently came to the sudden realization that, well, I am reeeaaallly out of shape. So I've been trying to go to the gym after the kids go to bed. Needless to say this has cut into my art time.

I've been trying to doodle when ever I get a free second. This past week I had a ton of administrative stuff to do at work on top of the normal load. The only positive to admin work is that it usually gives me a few minutes to doodle while my computer is running. So here are a few I did this week. They are quickies, but I had a blast doing them.

The trees are inspired by a story I am reading over for a very talented friend. They are not realated to the story, but popped in my head while I was reading it. I hope to have more about this one in the future. Besides, I've got this weird thing for trees. I grew up running around in the woods, and love the outdoors. I feel at peace when I'm there. Yeah, I'm cheesy, can't help it. Ok enough about the trees.

These random faces are just that, some random doodles. Hope you like them. Let me know what you think.

The "Gruncher"

2009-04-20T22:24:00.003-04:00

Well a fellow blogger Tom set up the latest art challenge. He threw the name "Gruncher" out there and said lets see what everyone can come up with. So here is my little sketch of The Gruncher.

The first thing I thought of was a huge massive beast. Then I thought how cool would it be if this big tough name was actually this little unassuming bugger. Then the little guy could actually change into the huge beast whenever he wanted.

I love drawing long ears and putting these black lines and symbols on my characters. A lot of my characters in my next project have the ears and marks. Anyway enough rambling. Hope you like the pic. It's a quicky. I colored it with a few Prisma color markers I have laying around.

If anyone is interested in getting in on these challenges just post a link on either Toms site or my own. Love to see what everyone comes up with. Check out Tom's blog at http://www.traversart.com/

What Drives Me!

2009-04-19T22:29:00.004-04:00

Here is a little sample of what drives me. My wife and kids are my life, everything else is pretty much an added bonus. I've been fortunate enough to grow up in an amazing family. I have one brother and three sisters. Even though we are spread out between Ohio, NY and Texas we are all very close. We have an incredible relationship and bond. Especially me and my brother, he's been my best friend through out my life. We owe it all to my amazing parents.

It's because of them that I appreciate my own family so much. Through out my life they've helped teach me what is truly important. I look at my wife and kids and it makes me want to be a better man, and truly give my all in everything I do. I work hard at being a good father and husband, and push my self at work. Some how I find the energy to try and get this art thing going as well. I guess I want to teach my kids to work hard and play hard, but never give up on your dreams. I hope I can pass that down to them.

These pictures where taken by my insanely talented wife. She started her own business two years ago and just keeps improving every day. She's really amazing, and I can't believe how far she has come in such a short period of time. She's is the hardest worker I've ever met and often stays up til 2am then chases two wild kids around all day. She's incredible. Check out her work at http://www.design489.com/This last pic makes me proud. Both my kids like to draw and make a mess. I love when my son wants to hang out with me while I work on book. He's left handed just like his old man. Thank you God for this life! It's the simple things I love the most.

Little Angels and Broken Hearts

2009-04-06T22:12:00.003-04:00

Well this one is a tough one for me. I'm writing with a heavy heart. I announced a few months ago that my wife and I where expecting a baby. Unfortunately we lost the baby a few weeks ago. I think we are still in shock. We miscarried a few years ago before we had my son. It hurt then, but we had some warning signs. This time we where caught completely off guard, and where really knocked off our feet.

We are trying to pick ourselves up and return to some kind of normalcy. I know I'm a guy and these things aren't supposed to effect men that bad, but I tell you what; I'm crushed. I can only imagine how my wife feels. She has to deal with the emotional and physical loss. She is a rock, and I'm amazed by her strength every day. I thank God for my son and my daughter every day. They are truly the best medicine, and keep us laughing. We are getting back on our feet, and the kids have no idea how much they are helping. It's the little things they say, the smiles and their laughter that help us through. We are doing better and appreciate all the prayers from friends and family.

I did this picture to help work my way through the loss. I don't always understand Gods plan, but I know he has one, and it's better than mine. So I trust him and just ask him to help us through what ever obstacles come our way. It's just hard when they are so painful. I guess he thought we needed two little angels in heaven to watch over us. So I talk to them every night, tell them I love them and ask them to watch over us. May God bless you and your families. Give your kids a squeeze and remember to appreciate the little things in life. Take care.

Little Hippos

2009-03-24T22:51:00.001-04:00

Here are some quick sketches I did tonight. Still trying to work out the kinks.

Pink Hippos and a Random Elephant

2009-03-23T23:29:00.004-04:00

Here are some character concepts I worked on this weekend. Hope you like them.

I had some problems with my scanner again. I have to scan the images in as a photo so they don't look so pixelated. Any way for some reason there was a major difference in the color between these two scans. Let me know which one you think looks better. And if any one has some scanner pointers, I'm all ears.

Here is a random elephant. I love drawing elephants. You can do some much with their trunks, and really add to the emotion, depth and movement of the image. Hope you like these.

Next Challenge

2009-03-16T23:06:00.004-04:00

Ok, I had a blast sketching some images for Jason's' Challenge. So I came up with another challenge idea. If you you could redo or update one of your favorite childhood cartoons what would it be? I thought about it for awhile, then the Herculoids popped into my head. This is an old cartoon from the late 60s early 70s. It's the cheesiest thing I've ever seen, but there is something about it that I love.

The concept is actually pretty cool. A barbarian and his family run around saving the world with a Dragon, Triceratops that shoots meteors, two blobs that can shape shift, and a giant Gorilla made of Stone. I loved Igoo, the rock ape as a kid he was my favorite. The dragon Zok was pretty cool too. He shoots lasers from his eyes and tail.....sweeeeet.

So I did my own version of how I would update the characters and make them a little more edgy or modern. I would love to redo this cartoon and have the freedom to run with it. So here is my little perspective of the Herculoids: Zandor, Tara, Dorno, Gloop, Gleep, Tundro, Igoo, and Zok.

Sooooo the challenge is on the table fellas, What cartoon from your childhood would you like to redo or update. I'd love to see what you come up with. I had a hard time deciding between Herculoids, Space Ghost and Thudarr the Barbarian, can't wait to see what you guys come up with. I couldn't fit the entire image on my scanner, I'll try to shrink it and scan it later.

Game On!

2009-03-09T22:58:00.004-04:00

I was out of town over the weekend with some of my buddies and had some time to sit down and do some art work. I finally got a chance to work on the friendly art challenge from Jason and Tom. The concept was who would win in an all out rumble between super heroes. This was a hard one for me since there are so many that I like, and then I had to have one of my favorites take out another!

So I picked my all time favorite, Superman vs one of my top ten Thor. I figured it would be a great rumble, but in the end Sups would pound the God of thunder. Sorry Goldie locks, but your going down. (I screwed up Supermans face on this one, but liked the concept)

I had so much fun doing this I decided to sketch out a few more. Here is another match up between two different men of steel. Colossus, who is one of my childhood favs vs Steel. A little Marvel DC match up again.

In the end Colossus is the coolest "Steel Man" around (well next to sups).

Here are a few other randoms I did while I was on the plane. I think I had some guilt in taking out Thor, so I had to do a tough sketch of him. Hope you like it. Tom, Jason, let me know what you think. And I have an idea for another little art challenge. I should get the post up by the end of the week.

Let's Rumble Bub!

2009-02-27T23:56:00.003-05:00

I rented the Hulk vs Wolverine this week, I've been waiting for this one to come out for awhile. I loved it, great cartoon that stayed true to the characters. It's a little on the violent side, so I'm happy I screened it before I let my 3yr old son watch it. But I watched about 3 times. There is also a Thor vs Hulk on there too. So it's worth the rent. Keep in mind that I love all three of these characters so I might be a little bias.

Anyway this is a sketch I did while I was watching it. I tried a few new things and it didn't exactly work out the way I pictured it in my head. Let me know what you think.

Earlier today Jason a fellow artist issued a friendly challenge to see who would win in a super hero throw down. He has a really cool pick of Spidey whooping up on Daredevil, and asked Tom and I what we could come up with. I have about a thousand ideas buzzing around in my head that I can't wait to put down on paper. I'm thinking a little JLA vs Avengers maybe? I probably can't get to it until next week, but my gears are turning. So this little pic doesn't count towards the challenge, but I'm really looking forward to sketching some stuff, and I can't wait to see what Tom and Jason come up with. Good luck fellas. Let the rumble begin!

Randoms

2009-02-27T23:52:00.002-05:00

Here is a few quick random character sketches I did. Trying to work a few characters out in my head. This is what spilled out on paper. They're real rough, but I had fun doing them.

Nuff Said Bub!

2009-02-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

OK Wolverine might possibly be the biggest superhero bad ass around. I love this character, his never say die, just another day at the office attitude. Or maybe as an Italian I think he might be part of our crew, I mean he's short, hairy and has a temper. Come on he has to be Italian.

Besides my drawing addiction, I have recently become addicted to checking out other artists websites. It's really cool to see what other artists are doing, and how they do it. I follow about 25 sites that range from the pros to some guys who just love to draw like me.

Any way I recently came across two other blogs that had done some cool sketches of Wolverine and Sabertooth. They look awesome. Check out Tom and Jasons work at http://www.traversart.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mymindlessnegotiations.blogspot.com/ . Keep up the great work guys.

After checking out the sites I caught the Wolverine bug and sketched out a few of my own last night and this afternoon while the kids where napping. I tried a a new technique for a few of these. I used gray stock paper with ink and a white pencil on the first three. It gives the image a different feel. I came across it on a few sites, and my Comic Hero SKottie Young uses an assortment of different mediums which brings his art to life. I screwed up the last image of Sabertooth, I wan't sure if I wanted to ink it or pencil it as you can tell.

I figured I'd try something different for this round to try and branch out a little. I have to constantly remind myself to draw things how I see them. I have total talent envy of the pros and sometimes fall in the trap of trying to do it like them instead of letting my own style come through. Soooo these sketches are how I picture Wolverine and Sabertooth. Hope you like them, let me know what you think.

Because We Love the Chaos!!!!

2009-02-17T21:50:00.007-05:00

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO READ TEXT.

Well in case you didn't figure it out from my little comic, my wife and I are expecting another BABY!!!! This makes it number 3 for our little clan. We had our ultrasound this morning and saw the little buggers heart beat for the first time. It's amazing to see, even the third time around, it's still unbelievable. It's still early, she is only 8 weeks, but we are too damn excited to keep it to ourselves. Soooooo I figured I'd throw this image together to announce our up coming addition.

I talked to my 3 yr old son about it today, and he laughed. I don't think he gets it but he seemed excited. Probably because I told him mommy's belly is going to grow, and there is a baby inside. He was quiet for a second, just staring at me, then he started to laugh and said "Mommy's going to have a fat belly!" I cracked up and quickly told him that he may want to say that "Mommy has a baby belly, not a fat belly."

I love it, I'm so happy and excited. God has truly blessed my life. I'm in oncology offices every day for work, and I see the struggles that the cancer patients go through. In one way it breaks my heart to see these people suffering. In another way it inspires me to see how they fight! They are truly amazing people, and they constantly remind me to appreciate the little things in life. It's one of the reasons I can't wait to get home and hug my wife and kids everyday.

I never really needed the motivation to express my feelings for my family. I lost my father when I was eighteen, so I figured out what was really important to me at a young age. It wasn't money or material things, it was family, friends and time. I realized that life is way to short and goes by way to fast. The things I appreciate the most are the smiles, the laughter and the memories of growing up with my family and friends.

Now I get to create and share that laughter and see those smiles everyday with my own family. I feel like the luckiest man alive. I'm crazy about my wife, she is truly my best friend. And I don't even have the words to express what my children mean to me. So thank you God for this wonderful life. Three kids in four years, not to bad (but I think we might have to slow down the pace).

Hope you enjoy the pics. I tried out a couple new pens and techniques after looking at how Kazu Kibiushi puts his page layouts together.

Welcome to the family baby Romano, can't wait to hold you in September!!!!

How cool is that!!!!!!!

More Doodles

2009-02-13T22:30:00.002-05:00

Here are some sketches I threw together for a buddy of mine form college. He is working on a children's book and asked if I would do some character concepts for him. Here are the rough first runs that I did when I had a few free minutes. Mike has a great concept for a book, can't wait to see what he does with it. Good luck Mike! More sketches to come. Take care.

National Sales Meeting Sketches

2009-02-08T15:51:00.005-05:00

I just got back from my national sales meeting in Vegas.! Soooo, any time I have a meeting, there will always be doodles. Here are a couple I did with a ball point pen. They are rough, but I had fun doing them.

My coworkers think I need to seek professional help. I don't look forward to hitting the casinos, I would rather hide in my room and draw. Any time I have a free minute or get to a general session early I break out the pen and note pad. I'm probably the only dork that is excited to get to the room early since it gives me a few free minutes to sketch. I must have done about 40 doodles, but here is what I scanned in for now. More to come. I got a chance to draw on the plane as well. I'll post them later. Take care!

(the one of the Hulk sums up how I felt after sitting on my butt all day.)

I am Ironman!!!!

2009-01-29T21:42:00.002-05:00

I am Ironman! Well, not really. I actually wanted to try out for the part of Tony Stark in the movie. Come on, what guy growing up didn't want to be a billionaire playboy that likes to partake in a few adult beverages. ( I have to admit, now a days I prefer my current role of father and husband, but it would be nice to have a few Billion laying around)

Well needles to say that train got quickly derailed when I mentioned it to my wife. It's amazing how she doesn't even need to use words to communicate exactly what she is trying to say. Come on you married guys you know what I mean. It's the classic tilted head and penetrating stare. It actually means, "OK you moron, you're almost thirty years old, just got married and have a kid on the way. Not to mention a full time job that pays the bills. So sure, go ahead quit, move to California and be a waiter."

I hate it when she's right! Good thing she was. I think Robert Downey might have done a slightly more convincing job then a short Italian from Ohio who has never acted before.

Anyway my son was sitting on my lap and wanted me to draw a picture of Ironman. (He's a superhero nut like his dad, I'm so proud!) So I did the pencil sketch with his help. After he went to bed, I colored it in with prisma color pencils. One of these days I'll go digital or at least ink. I just haven't had the time to play around with it.

Hope you like it. Let me know what you think. Take care.

HULK SMASH!!!

2009-01-14T00:58:00.003-05:00

Ok I've loved the big green guy since I was a kid. He has always been one of my favorites. Come on, who hasn't wanted to just go nuts and smash some stuff at some point in their life? Ok....maybe it's just a guy thing.

I loved the second movie. Ed Norton is one of my favorites, so when they casted him as Bruce Banner I was pumped. The only thing that ticked me off was the few moments that the Hulk looked tired. It was almost like he wanted to quit. Come on, he's supposed to get even more ticked and trash everything in sight. Sorry, my bad comic dork moment.

Any way, I did one sketch with a #2 pencil, one in colored pencil and the last one was prismacolor pens and some pencil. Just trying a few new things. Hope you like it. The image didn't scan great, it's a little grainy. I'll try to fix it when I'm not dead tired. Take care.

Quick Sketch

2009-01-12T23:09:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick sketch for one my characters I am working on. Getting closer, but he's not quite right yet. Gonna try to post some more stuff later this week. Had a chance to doodle a little last night. Take care.

Wishing You a Fantastic Christmas!!!

2008-12-23T02:49:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since my last post. I've been swamped with work and family stuff so I haven't had much time to sit down and doodle. (probably why I'm posting this at 3am) So I figured I would do my version of a Christmas card. I mean come on, who doesn't love a Christmas card with superheros? This is a quicky I did with colored pencil. Hope you like it.

This is my favorite time of year. I can't wait to see my little buggers tear into their gifts. Watching them makes me feel like I'm a kid again. The excitement and anticipation is torture when you're a kid. I remember how hard it was to fall asleep on Christmas eve. I had a blast Christmas shopping for the kids with my wife this year. They are at such a fun age, and it was nice to get some one on one time with wife. She is truly amazing and I thank God for her and the kids every day. I'm looking forward to some time off with the Fam over the next two weeks.

So, from my family to yours Merry Christmas, and may God watch over and bless your family this holiday season.

Captain and Mary Marvel

2008-11-03T23:30:00.003-05:00

I love this character. Mike Kunkel's "Billy Batson and The Majic of Shazam" has sparked my interest in Cap. I recently read Jeff Smith's "Captain Marvel and The Society of Evil", so now I am officially hooked on the character. As a kid I would always pretend that I could change into a super hero, and fly around the house like a wild man. I've launched myself face first off the couch, and much to my brothers dismay, a flight of stairs or two. Hey, he's the one that told me to do it. Turns out I can't fly, and thank God my brother can catch.

Now that I have a daughter of my own I can really appreciate Caps little sister, Mary Marvel. She reminds me of my little girl. She's fearless, full of spunk and constantly driving her older brother crazy. Yup sounds just like my little buggers. So I did this pic as a tribute to my fearless little Maggie Marvel and her big brother Captain Michael Marvel.

I posted the first rough sketch, and then final that I did in colored pencils. In the next few months I want to start dabbling with the digital painting. Let me know what you think. Hope you like it. Take care.

Willard

2008-11-01T16:08:00.004-04:00

Here is another character concept for my next project. It's a quick pencil sketch. Still trying to work this one out in my head. I should have a few more posts in the next couple of days, been a little busy. Let me know what you think.

Quickies

2008-10-17T23:18:00.003-04:00

Here's some quick sketches I did when I had a few minutes between appointments this week. These are both character concepts for my next project. They are real rough. I did them with a ball point pen on a legal pad. Let me know what you think. Take care.

eventually I'll have some time to post a few colored pics.

Rough Sketches

2008-10-11T23:25:00.002-04:00

I've been pretty busy between work, family and finishing the last page of Rocco and Joey so I haven't had much time to draw lately. I try to find time to doodle whenever I can. (I actually did these while I was on a teleconference)

These sketches are a good example of how I develop most of my characters. I did them on a standard legal pad with a ball point pen. They are real scratchy since I can't erase. I have to work the mistakes into the picture.

Any free second I get (which isn't much) I try to doodle or work on my stories. Since I spend a lot of time in the car for work I use the window time to fine tune the stories in my head before I put them on paper. This usually leads to a mental image of a character that I try to sketch later in the day.

The first pic is Og, one of my favorite characters for my next project. You might have noticed him in some of my earlier posts. Hope you like them, let me know what you think. Take care.

My Little Artists (we're startin em young)

2008-09-29T00:59:00.007-04:00

Here are my two little artists. My wife and I took the kids into the backyard and let them go wild with some paint. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard. They went crazy, and after painting the canvas, then each other, they decided to move onto dad.

They are everything to me, and I thank God for them every day. The last picture sums up my life; crazy, messy, and full of love and laughs. Take care.

So, if you are looking for some family fun, grab some paint, towels and a lot of soap. Take care.

Skottie Young Takes on Oz

2008-09-27T22:30:00.004-04:00

I figured since I talked about Mike Kunkel in my last blog I should follow up with my other favorite artist, Skottie Young. Like Mike he has a style all his own. He takes traditional comic characters and puts his own twist on them. He mixes digital and free hand work with ink washes. It's incredible.

Right now he is taking on one of the greatest stories ever writ en, The Wizard of Oz. Like it or hate it everyone has seen it. If not you are missing out on an American classic. It left an impression with me as a kid. I was scared to death of the flying monkeys. I think I actually like the movie more as an adult. (probably cause I know flying monkeys are not sitting out side my window)

I was so fire up when I heard he took on this project for Marvel. I was blown away by his version of the Oz characters. His scarecrow is amazing. Sooo, I figured in light of one of my comic artist hero's taking on Oz, I'd throw out a sketch of my own. Let me know what you think. I'm no Skottie Young but I'm trying. Check out Skotties' blog www.skottieyoung.blogspot.com

Take care.

Shazam! Here's more Mike Kunkel.

2008-09-23T00:22:00.002-04:00

My last post I mentioned Mike Kunkel has just taken on Captain Marvel. So far it's a great series. He writes and illustrates the stories. I thinks it's great. He brings such talent to a traditional hero, and makes it appropriate for all ages. I love his artwork and the simplicity of youth he brings to each of his stories.

Here are a few I did of Captain Marvel along with some if Mikes' characters and mine. The first one I did with Colored Pencil, and the second is just Prisma Color markers. I have a better feel for the pencils, but I'm trying to dabble in a few different mediums. I'd like to eventually get into ink washes and digital painting. I just need to add a few more hours into the day.

Here is Mike Kunkels' site for Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam! Check it out. Take care.

http://www.kunkelshazam.blogspot.com/

Huge Mike Kunkel Fan

2008-09-22T16:13:00.003-04:00

I think every artist has their Heroes. One of my favorites is Mike Kunkel. He is the author, creator and illustrator of Hero Bear And The Kid. For those of you who have not had the chance to read this book you are truly missing out. His stories are from the heart, and simply amazing. Hero Bear is one of my all time favorite books.It's a graphic novel/comic book fit for any age.

Mike also has a book called The Land of Sokmunster, it is really unique. This is another great story to share with your kids. I can't get enough of his work. He is currently working on a series for DC comics called Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam. The first two issues are currently available. My son and I read at least one of his books every night. Here is the link to one of Mikes' web sites dedicated to Hero Bear and Sokmunster. http://www.theastonishfactory.com/ Check it out.

I did a couple of quick sketches of Hero Bear and Tyler. I threw one of my characters (Joey) into the second sketch. These are rough pencil sketches but fun to do. I'll post some more sketches I did of Mikes' characters later this week. Hope you like it, take care.

Bane

2008-09-17T23:39:00.002-04:00

Here is another character concept from my graphic novel. This is an early sketch of Bane. I keep changing him around. Quick sketch, I used ink and colored pencil.

Do these pants make my butt look big?

2008-09-11T21:57:00.005-04:00

Here is one of my characters that I have been constantly changing over the years. This one if from the more "mature" graphic novel I want to do.

I drew this a few months ago, but there is something about it I like. It's another rough sketch. I colored it with a few Prisma Color markers I had laying around. Let me know what you think. As always any comments are appreciated. Even the bad ones.

Quick Sketch

2008-09-03T23:10:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick character concept I am working on for my next project.

Little Rusty

2008-08-30T00:32:00.006-04:00

Here is another rough sketch I did on the plane this week. Since I started Rocco and Joey most of my focus has been on picture books. So I'm a little rusty with this type of style. I figured I'd sketch out a few of my favorite heroes to work out the kinks.

Ever since I was a kid I have loved comics. Yup, I'm man enough to admit that I still love to read them when I get the chance. I love to do this type of stuff. My ultimate goal is to do a full graphic novel. I wrote to story about four years ago. It's a little mature compared to the picture books and kids graphic novels I'm currently working on. I need to figure out how to do the color digitally, so it will be awhile before I get around to that project. I'm planning on getting painter some time in the next few months and spending some time figuring it out. I'll post one of the characters later this week. Hope you like it. Take care.

Work in progress

2008-08-28T23:42:00.000-04:00

I just got back from training in Arizona for my job. I hate being away from my wife and kids. The only good thing is that I get a chance to doodle on the plane. I'm almost done with my first Rocco and Joey book. I'm going to send it out to the publishers some time in mid September.

In the mean time I have been slowly writing and doing character development for my next project. It's actually a comic book/graphic novel for kids. I'm a huge comic book dork, and wanted to do something that my kids could enjoy. I actually have three different titles I'd like to do. But for now, I'm focusing on this one.

It's still in the early stages, but here are a few concept sketches. The second one didn't scan very well so it's a little blurry. Hope you like them. I love drawing 'em. Take care.

Ebenzer and his friends

2008-08-28T23:28:00.000-04:00

OK, its' been awhile. Things have been absolutely crazy lately. I have been in and out of town for work over the last two months. Not to mention the chaos I call my home. With two incredibly entertaining little ones running around I have to wait until the wee hours of the night to doodle.

Here is a quick sketch I did before I left for Arizona. I love these characters. Ebenezer, Tommy, Lulu, Sylvester and Scarlett are all the brain child of my good friend Hanna Budic (Purdy). I made a last minute change to Scarlett that I'm not really happy with, but I like the way Lulu came out. As for the bee, he's actually a yellow jacket. I just added him in since Hannah, her husband Tim and I all graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College. Our mascot was a yellow jacket. Yeah, not the most manly mascot. It gets worse, my high school mascot was a bee. Oh well, go Jackets! Take care.

Monkeying Around

2008-07-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here is a really rough sketch. One of the things I love about other artists blogs is when they post their really raw, or rough sketches. It kind of gives you a feel for their personal style and a pure look at their work. One of the reasons I started this sight is so I can post some of my rough stuff, not just my fine tuned images.

I have a full time sales job. I work really hard at what I do, but we go to a lot of meetings. There is ton of clinical data, numbers and figures. Unfortunately I have been cursed since birth with CDDS. Other wise known as Chronic Day Dreaming Syndrome. (hey you never know, people make up new ailments every day. This could be one). Sooo anyway, at one of our meetings I drifted off and did this quick sketch. It's silly, I know, but there is something about it I like. Hope you do to. More to come.

Oh yeah, and in case anyone from work is reading this. I was intently listening every second and taking diligent notes.

Meet Ebenezer Flea

2008-07-20T23:36:00.000-04:00

A good friend of mine from college, Hannah Budic (Purdy) recently published a book "Ebenezer Flea and the Right Thing To Do". It's a great story, especially if you have little ones like myself. My son loves the book, and the best part is that there is a moral to the story. One of those life lessons that is never the easiest to learn. One that I still have a hard time with even today. You know, admiting when you are wrong. I'm finding out since I've been married this is something I have to do alot.

Anyway, I love the characters that Hannah has created and I asked if she would mind if I doodled a few of them. Here is my first one, Ebenezer the Flea. It's a quicky, and I'll have more to come. I have some rough sketches of Lulu, Tommy and Scarlett. Haven't gotten to Sylvester yet. If you want to know more about Ebenezer and his friends, check out http://www.ebenezerflea.com/

Thanks Hannah not only for the great story, but letting me post your characters. More to come.

First Run

2008-07-17T21:39:00.000-04:00

Well, here is my first post for this blog. Some of you may be asking "why does he need two blogs?". Good question. Acutally I wanted to start a seperate blog from Rocco and Joey in order to post some of my other art work.

Over the past four years I have been messing around with a few different projects. When my brain just isn't in sink with Rocco and Joey I work on some of my other stuff. I'm a comic book dork and have always wanted to write and illustrate one. This blog will allow me to post some of those samples since they are intended for a more mature audience then my children's books. I have a ton of different story lines in the works for comics, graphic novel (for kids) and some more children's book stories I'd eventually like to do. So, that is what you can expect from this site.

This first image is one I did for a friend who was working on a children's book, but it never really got off the ground. I fell in love with the two characters and may do something with them in the future. Let me know what you think. There will be more to come.